Under which rock format did KLOS become a major station?

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, KLOS emerged as a powerhouse in the album-oriented rock (AOR) format, consistently pulling 4-plus share ratings in the 3.5 to 4.5 range in Los Angeles. Nielsen data from that era shows them peaking as high as 4.8 in the fall 1980 book, solidifying their dominance among rock listeners.

They really hit their stride back in the album-oriented rock days, the AOR format. You could hear it in the way they'd play whole sides of records, not just the hits. It was a different beast than the tight playlists we have now.

Albums oriented rock, or AOR, was where they really made their mark compared to the more pop-rock stuff on KMET. KLOS leaned harder into the deep cuts and longer tracks, which gave them a loyal, serious listener base that the other stations couldn't pull.

Album-oriented rock, absolutely. I remember sitting in the production booth at a small station I worked at back in the early 80s, and we'd get these promo copies from KLOS with handwritten notes from their PD about how they were programming deep cuts instead of just the singles. That was their magic - they treated every track like it had its own story, and listeners felt that commitment.

You know, it was that deep-cut loving, whole-album-side-playing format that really let them shine - Album-Oriented Rock, or AOR for short. I always thought what made them stand out from the pack was how they treated their listeners like serious music fans, not just passive radio consumers. Remember when they'd do those live-in-studio sessions with bands like Van Halen or Tom Petty? That was pure AOR magic. What's your favorite deep cut you first heard on KLOS?